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Otti promises support for NDLEA in fight against drug abuse
By Francesca Hangeior.
Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, has advocated a multi-faceted approach with intelligence-driven strategies in combating drug abuse.
Otti spoke on Thursday when he received a delegation of the new State Commander, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Nnadi Wilfred, in Nvosi in the Isialangwa South Local Government Area of the state.
He frowned at the evolving nature of the drug menace and its impacts on criminal activities in the country.
The governor also underscored the need for collaborative efforts between government and security agencies in combating all forms of crime and drug-related offences, assuring that the state government would give the needed support to fight all forms of criminality in the state.
According to him, the fight against drugs has metamorphosed into something a bit more difficult because society is now dealing with a wide range of issues.
“When you look at crime and drug, you’ll see that they are closely related. You will find out that in a lot of cases, people who get involved in crime and criminality start with drugs.
Your sacrifices won’t be taken for granted, Otti assures veterans, serving officers
“So, whether you are Army, Navy, DSS, we are all one. Anywhere we need to give support, you don’t even need to ask. You can count on the government to give you support so that we can rid this place of criminals” Otti stated.
The governor, who renewed his administration’s commitment and support to security agencies in their efforts to ensure a safe and secure environment, recommended that the team meet with his Senior Special Assistant on Homeland Security to collaborate, identify, and eliminate possible hotspots in the state.
The governor also emphasized the role of education in crime prevention and expressed optimism that with the free and compulsory education for school-aged children in primary and secondary school, children vulnerable to drug abuse and criminality will reduce significantly.
Earlier, the State Commander, NDLEA, said that he came on a familiarisation visit, having resumed as the NDLEA Commander last December.
He expressed his gratitude to Otti and his wife, Priscilla, for their involvement in carrying out awareness campaigns against drug abuse as well as the rehabilitation of illicit drug users.
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Barr. Nyesom Wike, has said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is fully aware of his “Rainbow Coalition” and all his political activities.
Wike made the declaration on Tuesday night while speaking on Arise News Prime Time.
“There is nothing that I do that I don’t tell Mr. President,” he stated.
The FCT Minister said he was mobilizing support across party lines for the reelection of President Tinubu in 2027 under what he termed a “Rainbow Coalition.”
He has consistently maintained that his support is solely for the President, and not for the All Progressives Congress (APC), as a party.
Wike, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP), said his actions are not done in secret, stressing that the President is carried along at all times.
Wike also said he is not answerable to governors elected on the platform of the APC.
“I’m not answerable to APC governors.
“If people fail to learn from other people, they don’t grow. I took 31 days to commission projects in the FCT and they are not happy,” he added.
Turning to the Governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodimma, Wike said: “Hope Uzodimma should be lucky that I’m not in the APC. Hope fears for nothing.
“When I look at the APC governors who held the press conference, I see some people who are smart but politically lazy. Hope Uzodinma was the governor of Imo State, yet President Tinubu could not secure 10% of the votes there.
“Hope in his own state, Imo state, he was Governor. President Tinubu didn’t get 10% votes in the 2023 elections, but he took two senators and Labour Party took one senator. Is he saying Imo people were confused, or were they not confused?
“The governors of Osun, Anambra and Abia States are supporting the President reelection. Won’t they still support the candidates of their parties in other elections? So where is the confusion?”
Speaking about Rivers State, the Minister said; Becauseof our rainbow coalition, we no longer have Rivers of blood. There is no litigation on party candidates in Rivers State, unlike Imo State.”
When asked where else in the South-South the President can win, the Minister replied: “That can happen in Bayelsa State. The whole PDP there is working for the President. The founder of the NDC is not the founder of Bayelsa.”
“As I sit here today, I will tell you that the President will win in the FCT,” he added.
Federal Capital Territory FCT minister Nyesom Wike has said the Governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodinma and his cohorts are politically lazy.
Wike who is in Spain made this assertion during an ongoing interview with Arise tv.
He said all they said during a press briefing is neither here nor there.
He went memory lane saying, “Hope supported Ahmad Lawan during APC Presidential primaries and TInubu lost the election in his state.
Details shortly….
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has declared a total and indefinite strike across Lagos State-owned universities, citing the failure of the state government to implement key provisions of its 2025 agreement with the Federal Government.
The strike affects Lagos State University (LASU), Lagos State University of Education (LASUED), and Lagos State University of Science and Technology (LASUSTECH) and takes effect immediately.
ASUU’s Joint Campus Group covering the three institutions announced the industrial action in a statement on Tuesday, following the expiration of a 14-day ultimatum issued to the Lagos State Government on August 31.
According to the union, the ultimatum expired without a satisfactory resolution or a concrete commitment from the government to address its demands.
The union said its final warning on September 10 had made it clear that “silence is no longer an option,” but the government failed to initiate meaningful discussions before the September 13 deadline.
“ASUU Joint Campus Group comprising ASUU-LASU, ASUU-LASUED, and ASUU-LASUSTECH hereby declares a total, comprehensive, and indefinite strike action effective immediately,” the union said.
Why ASUU Is Striking
At the centre of the dispute is ASUU’s demand for the full domestication and implementation of the December 2025 agreement between the union and the Federal Government in all Lagos State-owned universities.
The union specifically demanded the implementation of provisions covering the Consolidated Academic Tools Allowance (CATA) as well as welfare protections for serving and retired academic staff.
ASUU said it arrived at the decision “with a heavy heart,” acknowledging that the strike could disrupt the academic calendar and affect students, parents and university administrators.
Addressing students, the union said the action was ultimately aimed at protecting the quality and sustainability of higher education in the state.
“This fight is fundamentally about preserving the quality and sustainability of your education,” it said, arguing that a demoralised academic workforce could not deliver the standard of education students deserved.
The union urged students to remain calm, peaceful and law-abiding while efforts continued to secure what it described as a lasting resolution.
It also acknowledged the concerns of parents and guardians over possible delays to their children’s education, saying its patience had “been tested and toyed with over the last eight months.”
Strike Not Against University Management
ASUU said the industrial action was not directed at the management of the three universities.
“This decision is by no means an adversarial action against your office,” the union said, urging the university administrations to understand the action as an effort to secure better working conditions for academic staff.
It commended the managements of LASU, LASUED and LASUSTECH for their efforts towards domesticating the agreement.
The union, however, accused the Lagos State Government of continued inaction and failure to implement agreements that it said had already been adopted by some neighbouring states.
National ASUU Backs Action
ASUU said the strike had the backing of its national leadership, which it said had supported the process from the initial correspondence to the university authorities, governing councils and the Visitor, through to the issuance of the 14-day ultimatum.
The union urged the Lagos State Government to follow the example of other state governors who had intervened to resolve similar disputes in their universities.
It also called on traditional rulers, religious leaders, alumni associations, civil society groups and other stakeholders to support its campaign for what it described as the rescue of education in Lagos State.
The strike, ASUU said, would remain in force until meaningful negotiations produce a satisfactory resolution and the Lagos State Government signs, domesticates and fully implemented.
Wike: Tinubu privy to my rainbow coalition, says I’m not answerable to APC governors
2027: Uzodinma and his cohorts are politically lazy- Wike
ASUU Shuts Down Lagos State Universities, Declares Indefinite Strike
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